By Eric Kulisch
There are not enough international naval forces in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean to guarantee safe passage for the hundreds of commercial vessels that transit the area each week. But one way to ensure protection from Somali pirates is to hire the Yemeni Navy.
You read that correctly.
The Yemeni Navy is operating as a business and selling protection services to those willing to pay its fees.
For up to $55,000 a heavily armed Austral patrol boat will stay within 500 meters of a customer vessel as it transits the Gulf of Aden and the entrance to the Red Sea along the Yemeni Coast.
Gulf of Aden Group Transits (GoAGT) is a joint marketing partnership between the government of Yemen and British security specialist Nick Davis, who previously operated a company called Anti-Piracy Maritime Security Solutions (APMSS).
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Davis, an ex-British Army helicopter pilot who claims various maritime certifications, shut down APMSS after a highly publicized incident last November in which an unarmed, three-man team defending a commercial chemical tanker jumped overboard in a hail of bullets from pirates who commandeered the ship. The short-lived company embarked former British Royal Marines and Special Forces to use non-lethal defensive measures to protect client vessels.
The negative publicity and increasing violence of Somali pirates forced Davis to reconsider his business model.
He now works through Lotus Project, a Yemeni company that serves as a procurement and investment intermediary between foreign contractors and the government. Lotus received a license a couple of years ago to offer maritime security services provided by the Navy and Coast Guard to protect commercial ocean carriers, according to its Web site.
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| 'If the Arab states, the U.N. and the (international) coalition assisted Yemen with assets and funding there would be no piracy that's for sure.' | |
| Nick Davis security specialist | |
Armed vessel escorts are available from mid-September through December between Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea and Nishtun on the Oman border ' a distance of 800 miles ' for $55,000 per transit. During the monsoon season, customers can hire dedicated gunboats for a shorter route between Al Hudaydah and the capitol of Aden for $45,000. Escorts stay within 25 nautical miles of the Yemen coastline to allow for fast response by Yemeni military forces, including aircraft, in case of an incident that escalates beyond the embarked team or escort vessel's capability, according to the company. Davis said Yemen provided such back up support for an incident on May 31.
The Yemeni Navy is very adept 'and will not hesitate to fire warning shots across the bows of a skiff if it strays 1 inch inside of the one-mile zone of a vessel they are protecting. They provide a full capability service including helicopters, warships plus additional firepower in the event of an incident. That's a lot more than can be said for using private companies that only have a few guys onboard and no backup support. The Yemeni will not allow a vessel or crew come to harm if they are protecting it,' Davis told American Shipper.
'They have a very simple reaction to intrusion and do not pussyfoot around if anyone dares to cross the line. If the Arab states, the U.N. and the (international) coalition assisted Yemen with assets and funding there would be no piracy, that's for sure,' he added.
The Yemen Coast Guard provides inshore support and pilot tenders to transfer armed security teams to commercial vessels.
There are about 30 vessels from all multinational task forces (European Union, NATO, and Combined Task Force 151) and individual nations patrolling the more limited Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor, which was established to narrow the zone that warships could reasonably protect.
Although international naval forces can't shadow each vessel they do not discriminate against vessel, flag-state, type or owner when it comes to providing assistance.
Since March, GoAGT has averaged about 10 to 15 escorts or armed security transits per month ' fewer during the stormy season, he said.
The $35,000 armed guard service is only available during the monsoon season because the heavy seas are too dangerous for the patrol boats, which only have a 2.1-meter draft, Davis said.
Armed rider teams consist of at least six men and one English-speaking leader.
'All personnel are serving military soldiers or coastguards with extensive experience in dealing with Somali pirates ' they are not private security guards.
'Guards follow rules of engagement as directed by the Yemeni military,' GoAGT says on its Web site.
Two other security outfits, Muse Professional Group and London-based Global Executive Outreach (GEO) & Shield Consulting, also claim to have licensing agreements with the Yemeni Coast Guard. Muse, headquartered in Orlando, Fla., said its anti-piracy service has completed dozens of successful transits this year. GEO said it places its own protective teams onboard commercial vessels, with operational support provided by the Yemeni Coast Guard during transit.
Customer demand for the three security companies mentioned could not be verified. GEO did not respond to an e-mail inquiry and a Muse official was on assignment and could not be reached. An official for Intertanko, which represents independent tanker owners, said he was not aware of the Yemeni for-hire escorts while an executive for Maersk Line Ltd., the U.S. subsidiary of Danish shipping conglomerate A.P. Moller – Maersk, said the company has no intention of using the service.
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| 'The blurring of the line between private for-profit enterprise and sovereign states acting in the common good is troubling.' | |
| Steven Carmel senior vice president of maritime services, Maersk Line Ltd. | |
But Michael Frodl, a Washington-based attorney who advises insurance companies on emerging risks such as piracy, said using local security forces makes some sense because they are cheaper than Western security firms.
Blackwater tried to charge $8,000 per day for a four-man armed team, he said in a phone interview. A shipping company could easily pay a Western security contractor $50,000 to $100,000 for a single trip when factoring in a 10-day minimum engagement that starts from embarkation to debarkation at ports outside the danger zone and the cost to fly them and their equipment to and from the vessel engagement.
Although the market for hiring armed guards is small, companies that do so will likely look to local firms or Western ones that supervise local security personnel.
The Yemeni rates 'are competitive compared to a bunch of retired U.S. or U.K. special forces guys,' Frodl said.
He compared the renting of the Yemeni naval force to local businesses in the United States paying off-duty police officers to show their badge and keep troublemakers away from their establishments. The extra money could come in handy for Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world, or help keep low-paid military personnel doing formal work rather than running their own rogue operations, he speculated.
Residents of Somalia, which lacks a normal economy and job opportunities, could also take advantage of the situation to form security firms and protect cargo vessels from pirates, Frodl suggested.
There are conflicting reports that Egyptian fisherman on a pair of boats were rescued in mid-August after four months with the aid of Somali militiamen hired by one of the boat owners.
Local security forces, aside from lower labor costs, also do not require extra employment benefits, reduce the chances of a lawsuit if a guard is killed or injured and probably can talk in the same language with the pirates, Frodl said.
Meanwhile, Davis is also launching another venture called the Merchant Maritime Warfare Center that intends to serve as a source of security information and training for commercial vessel operators and their crews.
Davis said he can teach ship crews how to employ the same non-lethal defensive measures used by private security teams without the need to spend $20,000 per transit.
The so-called not-for-profit organization will comprise an information portal, a warfare training academy and a maritime security consulting service.
The information portal will include threat analysis, incident reports, weather reporting, equipment lists, best practices and discussion forums, according to the beta Web site.
Training will take place at a dedicated facility and include security issues not addressed by the International Ship and Port Security Code, such as piracy, armed robbery and terrorism. Courses include scenario training, desktop simulation, and full bridge simulation using live attack scenarios. The company will also offer 'live attack' on-water simulation training at several locations around the world at the request of vessel operators.
The consulting practice will advise shipyards, ship owners, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and industry groups on preventive countermeasures for vessels, legal issues and other security requirements.
